


Mystery of a Capture

by MissTantabis



Series: Tumblr Stories [9]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Jamie Campbell Bower as Gellert Grindelwald, M/M, Oneshot, Slice of Life, and yes I count a cat as a character, bite me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 09:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10553812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissTantabis/pseuds/MissTantabis
Summary: This is not what Percival Graves has expected. While he is imprisoned by Gellert Grindelwald, the other man actually treats him with kindness. He has got a warm bed, food and water and can walk around the house. When Percival can no longer bear it, he decides to explore the place in search of an answer. Only then does he learn of Grindelwald's ambition...





	

**Author's Note:**

> Gellert's german sentences are translated at the end of the chapter.

Percival could not make sense out of the world anymore. This captivity was nothing like he had expected it. There was no torture, no interrogation. Grindelwald was leaving him in peace. Sometimes it felt like he was not even there.

Graves had premission to walk in the house how he liked. He got very well made food and drink (which was not poisoned, Percival had checked twice) and he slept in a very comfortable bed. There were seemingly no limits. If it were not for the two, small, silvery earrings he was wearing. They were buzzing with magic and were the only restriction Graves had. They made sure he could not leave the house.

He was a bird in a cage. The cage may be large, but it was a cage nonetheless. Sadly it did not answer all the questions that were burning on Percival’s innards

: Why was he treated that way? What was Grindelwald’s plan? Was this all a mere illusion to taunt him? Was this an attempt of persuasion? So many questions and so little answers.

Percival had spent the last few hours laying in his bed. He now could no longer bear being in this room. He had to do something. Anything. Graves got up and slowly left his large, luxurious bedroom. He was now standing in a corridor. The house, where his captor kept him, was large, gloomy but also surprisingly cozy. It clearly belonged to a person of wealth, though it sometimes felt a bit neglected. It was not as polished and clean as it could be.

Percival carefully hurried downstairs. In the main foyer he took a door at random, the one on the left. It lead him to what had to be a library. It was a large, stretched room like the wing of a castle. Bookshelves upon bookshelves lined the walls. There were a few candles in chandeliers and stands to lit the room. A book stand. A table, which was boarded with books. Parchment scattered everywhere.

Percival was caught in his curiousity. He slowly walked deeper into the library. His eyes wandered over the various titles. They were stamped into leather, silk and other hard covers. Books on charms, books on spells and of course books on dark magic. Some titles were familiar for Graves like _A collection of spells used by Merlin_ or _Circe’s Instructions_. However other titles could have also been mushroom names because Graves had no clue what they meant.

Percival pondered if he should pull out one of the books when a quiet miaow made him turn his head. There on the window sat a massive, black kneazle with iceblue eyes. Graves stared at the cat. The cat stared back. It was an elegant creature with a long, silky coat, resembling more a wildcat then a lion as kneazles usually did.

The cat’s eyes were as pale blue as Gellert Grindelwald’s left eye was. They were narrowed and Graves could not help but feel judged. He stood there and gave the cat a look that was supposed to be intimidating. However the animal’s eyes glittered. Was that amusement? The kneazle seemed to be as malicious as its master was.

The cat then yawned in a way that clearly proved Graves must be a pisspoor addition to the household. It slowly stretched itself, the back forming an U, fur slightly bristled. Graves watched it stretch each leg with a lazy kick, tail oddly stiff.

The kneazle then hopped of the window sill, its body swooping over one of the books that had lain there. It sauntered past Graves in the manners of a small king. Percival stared after the animal and for some reason felt incredible stupid. If a cat already looked down upon him, how deep had he fallen?

Graves moved over to the table and gazed at the book, which laid open. His eyes lit up in curiousity. The spell, upon which he had stumbled, allowed its user to see and hear through walls. That was something new and fascinating.

Graves was so sucked in by the book and its content that his captor had to cough in amusement a few times before he spun around. “Did you find something interesting?” Slowly and calmly Gellert Grindelwald stepped out of the shadows by the library door. His youthfull frame felt like a bitter joke towards Graves. The mockery was clear. This man wore more masks then anyone else.

“Why do you care?”, asked Graves. He thought about closing the book. “It is not like I am gonna be treated nicely forever.” Gellert chuckled. He sauntered through the library, hands crossed behind his back. “Do you still not understand what is going on, Graves?”, he cooed.

“No, I don’t!”, admitted Percival. He gestured around wildly. “Explain it to me! What is going on? Why are you treating me so nicely? Why do you allow me all these liberties? What do you hope to gain from it? I heard things about you. They say you hung the foreign minister of Great Britain. They say you petrify people and send the dust back to their relatives. They tell all sorts of gruesome stories about you. When you captured me, I was expecting the worst: Being tortured and then killed!”

He inhaled deeply and calmed down. Raising his brows, he continued: “So why is this not happening?” Gellert smiled and it was an almost fond smile. “I do not kill potential”, he responded, “I know you believe we have to be enemies but I do not think so. I see potential and I recognise it very easily. You own your title and you deserve it. And yet” - Grindelwald waved an arm and showed Percival the library with this gesture - “I feel like there is so much more you could still do. There is so much more power you can unlock. The Ministery is holding you back. MACUSA holds you back so much.”

Graves slowly placed his hands on the table. He leaned over and chewed on his lips. “Where are you going with this?”, asked the Director and gazed at Grindelwald, “Because trust me: I won’t change sides. I have sworn my loyality towards my government, towards my people, and I will do everything I can to protect them. If you believe you can shape me into a Fanatic, you are wrong. I am _nothing_ like you.”

“Poor, poor Graves.” Gellert came closer and laid a hand on his shoulder. He slowly caressed it. “You are always expecting the worst, aren’t you? You always have to be on your guard, because otherwise you will appear weak. It must be so tiring.”

“S-shut up”, hissed Graves and closed his eyes firmly. He wanted to deny what Grindelwald was saying. He did not want to acknowledge the truth these words had in their core. Graves was always doing so much, many people believed he was in love with his work. And yet he too yearned for some care and had the desire to not always be what they expected. Being the perfect Director of Magical Security could be so hard.

Gellert looked at his book. He rose his brows. “The _Second Eye_ ”, he mused, “What a fitting choice for somebody who has to work in the dark. Ich kann dir zeigen, wie es geht.” “What?” Percival turned around in disbelief. “You are…”

“Offering to teach you a few skills.” Gellert’s fingers wandered over Graves’ arm and touched his cheek. “I told you I recognise potential when I see it. And you have an entire set of skills, slumbering inside you. Only waiting to be unlocked.”

“See?” Gellert drew out his wand and slowly waved it. Percival followed the trail of magic with his eyes. It hit the next wall, which seemed to hollow out and show the next room, where the cat was scratching over a branch, which laid on the floor. There was a certain beauty in the charm for as Percival laid his hand on it, the wall was solid but still transperent.

Gellert lowered his wand and the wall became visible again. Percival eyed his palm. “Was that dark magic?”, he asked and Grindelwald nodded. “I would call it grey magic.” The Director dropped his hand. He looked at the blonde wizard. “Teach me”, he breathed.

Gellert smiled. He slowly stepped besides Percival and even handed him back his dark, black wand. He explained: “You have to hold your wand in the direction of the wall. If you want to, you can even touch it. Then say the incantation.”

Before Percival could cast the spell, Gellert slowly closed his fingers around the Director’s wrist in a gentle fashion. He stood behind Graves, head over his shoulder. “Go on”, he encouraged him softly. Like a father would a child.

Percival tried to fight the flattering feeling in his stomach. Why did Grindelwald’s gentleness made him feel so light and free? As if there were no limits. He uttered the words of the incantation and watched the wall become transperent again.

Percival gazed at it in fascination. “It is beautifull”, he breathed. How could dark magic produce something so pretty? “Yes”, Gellert agreed and his hand trailed over Percival’s neck, gracing the earrings, “Wunderschön.”

“Why did nobody tell me this type of magic could be so beautifull?”, Percival asked and looked at Gellert. He hardly noticed how he began to relax around the other one. He was welcoming these feelings in his guts. These whispers of safety. This idea that someone cared for him. Maybe he was a fool. But maybe a fool had a better life then a harsh man.

“Because people are scared”, Gellert replied, “They view dark magic as a danger, a threat, a violation against nature. They simply have forgotten one thing. First and foremost” - his fingers brushed over his cheek, ghosting over Graves’ lips - “dark magic is a mystery.”

Gellert slowly parted from Graves and he turned around. He left the library. And Percival stood there, his ebony wand in his hands, and stared after the blonde wizard, trying to wrapp his head around this odd situation. He was not sure if Gellert had spoken about dark magic or about himself. 

_It is like he is giving me a riddle. No, Gellert Grindelwald is **the** riddle. And he waits for me to solve it…_

* * *

The translation of Gellert Grindelwald's words. _  
_

"Ich kann dir zeigen, wie es geht." = "I can show you how this is done." in this case: I can show you how to cast this spell.

"Wunderschön." = "Beautifull."


End file.
